Do London taxi drivers still have to do the Knowledge?

“The knowledge has existed for ~160 years and has never used any form of technology. It is a legal requirement for London taxi cab drivers to learn it” (Stok, 1999), which is tacit knowledge of London streets and associated places of interest.

How many streets do taxi drivers in London have to memorize?

25,000 streets
There are 25,000 streets in central London, laid out in a manner best described as willy-nilly. Anyone who wants to drive a cab must memorize them all. This arcane body of knowledge is called, in typical British understatement, The Knowledge. Mastering it takes more than three years, and physically changes your brain.

What do London taxi drivers have to learn?

London cabbies need to know all of those streets, and how to drive them — the direction they run, which are one-way, which are dead ends, where to enter and exit traffic circles, and so on. But cabbies also need to know everything on the streets.

Do London cabbies earn good money?

For now, the status quo remains for the capital’s cabbies. Most put in a 40- to 50-hour week and earn around £23,000 after expenses. It’s not a cheap business to run. A new vehicle costs £28,000, insurance £1,600 a year, garage fees another £1,300 and then there are repairs on top of that.

How much do London cabbies earn?

Once qualified, cab drivers earn an average of $45,000 to $50,000 a year.

How much does it cost to become a London taxi driver?

Grant of licence fee – £180. Knowledge of London written examination (All London) – £200. Knowledge of London appearance – £400. DSA Hackney Carriage driving test – £92.94 (normal hours), £112.34 (evenings or Saturdays), £50 (wheelchair test)

How much does a black cab driver earn UK?

Most put in a 40- to 50-hour week and earn around £23,000 after expenses. It’s not a cheap business to run. A new vehicle costs £28,000, insurance £1,600 a year, garage fees another £1,300 and then there are repairs on top of that.

How much of London does the Knowledge cover?

320 standard routes through central London, or “runs”, are defined in the Guide to Learning the Knowledge of London, which is produced by the Public Carriage Office. In all, some 25,000 streets within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross are covered, along with the major arterial routes through the rest of London.

Is the Knowledge of London a degree?

Answer for Knowledge of London. The Knowledge is widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive local knowledge test in the world. TfL has for some time been working closely with Ofqual, the Office for Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, with the aim of establishing the Knowledge as a formal qualification.

How many runs does it take to become a London taxi driver?

There are separate shorter courses, for suburban London, with 30 to 50 ‘runs’ depending on the sector.

How many taxi routes are there in London?

The 320 main (standard) routes, or ‘runs’, through central London of the Knowledge are contained within the ‘Blue Book’ (officially known as the ‘Guide to Learning the Knowledge of London’), produced by the Public Carriage Office which regulates licensed taxis in London.

Why are taxi drivers so famous in London?

London’s taxis are world-famous, in part because our taxi drivers know the quickest routes through London’s complicated road network. Taxis can be hailed in the street and asked to go anywhere, so a thorough understanding of London’s streets is essential.

When was the knowledge requirement for taxi drivers introduced?

The Knowledge was introduced as a requirement for taxi drivers in 1865. Mastering the Knowledge typically takes students three to four years; it’s a challenge, but plenty of help and support is available if you are determined.